Okay, maybe tables aren't like flashy graphics or cool multimedia that will dazzle your audiences, but the table gives the audience members an organized, systematic look to your presentation. This article guides you in creating table layout view to draw tables and table cells using kenotes for Mac OS X.

This chapter is from the book

This chapter is from the book

In this chapter

Create tables that make your content clear

Format and use table content

Make tables look the way you want

Work with cells, rows, and columns to make your information
shine

Tables, along with charts, which we will explore in Chapter 4, "Using
Charts," are mainstays of presentation. After all, a table can be a great
way to show your audience members information and help them understand some
concept or idea you are trying to get across.

The good news is that you won't have to spend a lot of sweat and tears
with tables in Keynote. As with most things in Keynote, the software does most
of the hard work for you so that you can focus on your presentation's
content. In this chapter you'll learn how to create, customize, and manage
tables in presentations.

The Wonderful World of Tables

Okay, maybe tables aren't like flashy graphics or cool multimedia that
will dazzle your audience, but let's also face the facts: Depending on
the kind of presentation you are tackling, tables can be very helpful in a number
of ways. The purpose of a table is to display information to your audience.
The table gives the audience members an organized, systematic look at some content
you are presenting, and in reality, content presented as a table is easier than
text information for audience members to remember later because it gives what
might be boring content a visual impact. For example, take a look at the table
in Figure 3.1.

This table takes a simple three-column and two-row approach that gives sales
figures for different periods of the year. The table is very basic in nature,
but it makes otherwise bland information more interesting and easy to
understand. You could jazz this table up a bit by using more colors and even
marking the low period (summer) in red or using a graphic, which you'll see
how to do later in this chapter.

When should you use a table? Here are some quick tips to remember:

Use tables to present numbers and figuresThe table format
naturally lends itself to numbers and figures and keeps audience members from
getting lost in a jumble of numeric information. If you use numbers and figures
in a presentation, you should think in terms of tables.

Use tables to show contrasting informationTables work great
when you have different pieces of information that fit together or contrast in
some way. The table format helps show relationships between pieces of data in a
memorable way.

Use tables to show time line issuesIf you are talking about
different periods of the year or even periods of different years, you can use a
table to show the information. Tables can help audience members establish a
mental time line that gives greater meaning to information.

Can you overuse tables? Sure. As with any presentation element, you should
question yourself if you have table after table in your presentation. Use tables
when needed, but use them sparingly, or they start to lose their impact. Keep it
simple, keep it clear, and make sure the table has a solid purpose before using
it in your presentation.